The U.S. male goes first class

While women prefer “cheap chic” fashion so they can have more variety, men tend to pick better-quality items and trusted brands, one retail survey says.

By JOYCE SMITH
The Kansas City Star

It’s Saturday morning, and Pete Walsh is agonizing over what to wear to his parents’ 50th anniversary dinner that night.

Three salesmen at Hudson & Jane on the Country Club Plaza huddle around a purple shirt and brown jacket as the tie possibilities pile up.

“The older I get, the more obligations I have to parties and events,” said Walsh, a producer at Lockton Benefit Co. “I have to make sure I look professional outside of the office just in case I meet someone I do business with or who I could potentially do business with.

“My mother taught me that if you look and dress nice, it’s hard to go wrong.”

Mom’s advice is music to the ears of men’s clothiers, who lately are seeing more men upgrading their wardrobe. In fact, men’s tailored clothing flew out of stores in 2004, with sales surging 24 percent to more than $4 billion, fueled perhaps by the popular TV show “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy” and the rise of the “metrosexual” — a straight male who has refined tastes in clothing and designer hygiene products — along with the move toward a dressier workplace.

The apparel industry appreciated the boost.

Shaky consumer confidence, an uncertain job market and a lack of passion for fashion led to a drop in apparel sales in 2002 and 2003, according to the NPD Group, a Port Washington, N.Y., market research firm.

While NPD estimates the Men’s Wearhouse Inc. has a 22 percent share of the men’s suit market in the United States, selling more than a million suits and 2 million ties annually, other stores are taking note. Banana Republic, for example, is offering more men’s shirts with French cuffs, and Kohl’s began selling Chaps by Ralph Lauren suit separates in March.

Pinstripes on the Plaza has seen a spike in sales across the board since February — dress shirts up 20 percent, ties up 25 percent, dressier sportswear up from 15 percent to 20 percent, suits up 20 percent and custom suits up 30 percent.

“You never grow 20 or 30 percent. You can’t plan it. I think it’s one of those things that just happen,” said Jack Ring, co-owner of Pinstripes. “I think the guys are deciding they need to dress up a little more with some clients. New York and Chicago have had a real spike in the sales of dressier clothes, and it trickles in to us.”

Slabotsky & Sons has seen sales grow from 25 percent to 30 percent in the last year compared with the same period a year earlier.

“We like to see it, because it adds up to more dollars for a suit as opposed to khakis,” said Bruce Jerwick, owner of the store at 1102 Grand Blvd. “Companies are going back to a little dressier format. And I think guys are getting tired of looking junky. They want to dress up and feel better.”

Consider Eric Negrete, owner of Design Eric Negrete, who said he probably would have a much bigger condo if he did not have such a big wardrobe.

“I’m a designer, so if I can’t put together an outfit, people think there is no way I can assemble a space,” Negrete said. “I always put on a jacket for presentations. It gives you that finished look, and you appear that you are ready for business.”

Sean Hogan, a former lawyer who is now a director at the VML advertising agency in Kansas City, agreed.

“I’m seeing more and more people wearing a coat and tie again, and suits in all industries,” Hogan said. “In certain business situations it demonstrates to the client that you are a professional and the meeting is important enough.”

Research by NPD in 2004 found that men were opting for dress shirts and slacks that could be mixed and matched with more casual-styled tops and bottoms.

While only 10 percent of the men surveyed said their office required “tailored business attire,” more than 60 percent voluntarily chose to wear clothing items considered “tailored” to work because they feel more professional. Comfort is their top priority when buying clothes for work, and they want low-maintenance items that don’t have to be dry-cleaned or ironed.

While women prefer “cheap chic” fashion so they can have more variety, men tend to pick better-quality items and trusted brands, according to the survey.

“Men tend to buy an entire outfit in one place, while women are not necessarily ensemble-driven and prefer different brands,” said Rick Brehm, co-owner of Hudson & Jane.

Men also may be spending more because they are more comfortable shopping.

Twenty years ago, 70 percent of men’s products were purchased by women, according to retail studies. But since then, boys have grown up hanging out at the mall. Men also are marrying later and shopping for themselves longer. Moreover, two-career families increasingly need men to pick up some of the shopping slack.

By 2003 the numbers reversed, with 75 percent of men’s products bought by men.

More men are shopping not only for themselves, but also in more categories — clothing, skin care, home decor — and at some of the places women traditionally shop.

Home decor items from Crate and Barrel and Pottery Barn are replacing dorm room furniture from their college days. They’re selecting a dress sneaker instead of a sports sneaker, and grooming products that go beyond a basic shave and shampoo, according to WSL Strategic Retail, a New York marketing and retail consulting firm.

“An older 30-to-40 segment have sort of grown up observing their girlfriends and wives increasingly taking care of their skin and hair and feeling they want to be part of this evolution or revolution,” said Wendy Liebmann, president of WSL. “And of course more companies are introducing products for men, whether it’s Gillette or Neutrogena around the mass price points or some of the more designer-oriented prices.

“I think there’s that notion that it’s OK for men to pamper themselves like women do.”

By the numbers

$49 billion: Amount spent on men’s apparel in 2004, up from $47 billion in 2003.

24 percent: Increase in tailored clothing sales in 2003-2004, one of the hottest categories in men’s fashion